Charity says too many claiming disability support

A leading charity says too many people who are on the disability pension are not being given the support they need to help them get back to work.

Mission Australia says there has been a 280 per cent increase in the number of people on the disability pension during the last 30 years, with the total now standing at 825,000.

Chief executive Toby Hall says the problem in the growth of numbers has been fuelled by a lack of opportunity and training for people who want to return to work, and people find they end up being parked on the pension.

Mr Hall says the figures highlight a need for a review of the disability support pension system to help people get back into the workforce.

"There are a number of people who could and should be helped back into the workforce, who should be participating, who genuinely actually want to participate, but who are not getting the support they should be," he said.

"They're put onto this pension, it doesn't get much support to help them get back into work, and we're saying is it not time to stop and do something different to help them get back into work, if that's what they want to do.

"It's good for productivity, it's good for the society, so why are we not grappling with this issue?"

System 'failing people'

The Disability Support Pension is $733 a fortnight for singles, or $553 a fortnight for people who have a partner.

Mr Hall rejects the suggestion that the massive growth in people on the disability pension is a result of a wide-scale rip-off.

"I don't think there's large-scale rorting, I think we've set up a system which has failed people, and I think our welfare system as a whole is failing people," he said.

"Rather than saying 'Let's create participation, let's put people on a benefit', we can almost park them there and forget about them, and we're saying that is fundamentally wrong."

Mr Hall says many disabled Australians have a hard time entering the workforce.

"You look at most workplaces in Australia, and I challenge people to look at your own workplace and say genuinely, 'How many disabled people are around me working', and often the answer is, 'Well not many'.

"Why is the Government not investing enough so they can contribute? Why have we failed that group of people?

"And what we're saying is let's get in and invest. And if you do that investment, you can get people back into work who've been on this benefit and we're saying spend the money, let's get those people participating."

Mr Hall says Australian Council of Social Service figures show more than 2 million Australians live in poverty, and the main cause for that is joblessness.

He says a broad review of the welfare system - going beyond the disability support pension - is vital to help relieve that poverty, and create a more productive and happier population.